Sunday, June 14, 2020
am
LESSONS FROM THIS
PANDEMIC
Last week we presented a lesson that I entitled, Covid-19 and sin.
It is based on a lesson
presented by my son Joshua as the church there resumed worship last
month. In that lesson we
made a comparison between this virus and sin.
They are parallel in many ways (and I might add different in some
ways as well). Today, I
want to notice a few more lessons as we look back at this virus thus far
and what remains ahead. Again,
many of these points we presented in my son’s lesson (but don’t blame
him for what I say).
a.
What is most
important to you?
Within a matter of weeks, our lives as we knew them changed.
All of a sudden, there were things we could not do.
We had to learn to live without many of the extracurricular
activities we take for granted - live sporting events (college
conference basketball tournaments were cancelled right in the middle),
movies theaters and even amusement parks that don’t close for anything,
have been shut down FOR MONTHS, going to a park or other outing, getting
on an airplane, etc. and even going out to eat at a restaurant – they
all came to a screeching halt.
For some, they have lost jobs or had to adjust their jobs and income.
AND doing without these things, while inconvenient, WE ARE HERE!
Which means we have survived. This virus has taught us the
difference between necessities and wants. Have we learned the lesson?
b.
Things are temporary
– 1 John 2:15-17 – we are called upon to not love this world or the
things in the world.
2 Peter 3:12-13 – elements will melt with fervent heat.
What do we really NEED?
There are some ways this virus has taught us
1 Peter 1:24-25, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of
man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls
away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word
which by the gospel was preached to you. (cf. Isaiah 40:6-8)
c.
Are we truly content?
Philippians 4:11-12, Paul had learned in whatever state he was in to be
content.
1 Timothy 6:6-8, Timothy was told that godliness with contentment is
great gain. With food and
clothing, are we content?
d.
Is God really first
in your life?
Matthew 6:33 – seek first the kingdom of God…
Luke 14:26-31 speaks of the seriousness of this commitment.
(NOTE: Jesus was not advocating hating your family just to do it.
The context is about priorities – God MUST come first!)
Luke 12:13-21 – the parable of the rich fool – in which a man is blessed
with abundance but forgets about God.
That night he lost it all.
The emphasis of the text was to remember God in your plans.
Is Jesus really LORD to you?
Galatians 2:20
a.
Were you prepared for
this virus?
I do not mean that you know it was going to happen, like you plan for a
vacation. But there were
some who were better prepared because they make preparations for life in
general. We can also think
of this as we would earthquake preparedness – things we are told to have
in place in case of an earthquake. Far
too many live their live thinking about nothing but what is happening
right now and that NOTHING will happen in the future to change that.
How often are people surprised by some drastic turn of events.
THIS VIRUS, did that for EVERYONE.
And some were prepared than others - financially, healthwise, in their
jobs (i.e. able to work from home), etc.?
There is something to be said about saving for the uncertainties of
life. Those who have a full
“emergency fund” in place (enough to sustain you for a few months) were
better off financially.
Those who take better care of themselves healthwise, are more likely to
overcome this virus quickly.
b.
Spiritually, are we
prepared to meet God?
Amos 4:12, that was the message
of Amos as he prophesied about Israel and Judah’s (and other nations)
ungodliness and rejection of God. I was a message of coming judgment.
In scripture, we are warned that the Lord is returning.
At least 5 times, the NT speaks of the Lord’s return as a thief
(Matthew 24:43-44, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3,
16:15). Jesus elaborated
upon His sudden and unexpected coming in Matthew 24:36-51, a passage I
believe at least includes His second coming – people eating and drinking
and living as if life has no end.
Then suddenly its over.
O how things change!
We are told in James 4:14 tells us our life is a vapor that appears for
a little time and then vanishes away.
Hebrews 9:27, It is appointed for men to die once, and after that
the judgment.
There’s a great day coming, are we prepared?
c.
We need to prepare
for that day.
Thankfully, we CAN prepare for that day.
By becoming a Christian and living like a Christian.
It is those who are in Christ who will enjoy that eternal reward
-
“That I may be found in Him…” (Philippians 3:8-11)
1 John 2:28,
And now,
little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have
confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
Mathew 7:24-27 –
Jesus concluded the “sermon on the mount” with the parable of the wise
and foolish builders. The
wise man was prepared as he built his house on the rock and it stood
firm when tested.
HOW prepared are you for that day when your eternal fate will be
sealed – whether it be the ending of your life on earth, OR His return?
a.
2 Corinthians 13:5
–
examine yourself in this?
This is a passage that challenges us to take inventory occasionally.
Usually, it is when we face trials that we are tested – cf. James 1:2-4,
1 Peter 1:7 speaks of the genuineness of your faith being tested with
fire and hopefully you will stand firm.
b.
How did you do?
How ARE you doing?
(This isn’t over yet!) What
has this pandemic (and 2020 for that matter) taught you about where God
stands in your life? Are
there areas where you have discovered deficiencies?
Are there areas you have not been doing too well?
I know I have some work to do in various areas.
i.
Do I consider
others as I should?
We still need to be considerate and think about others.
Did you make some changes to do more for others?
What does it mean to love your
brother? Would you wear
a mask if that meant others would attend?
(I know of a congregation where
some members refuse to wear a mask, and others refuse to attend because
they will not wear a mask. This is a clear case of Romans 14 and 1
Corinthians 8:9-13 – liberties and THINKING about your brethren in the
decisions you make).
ii.
Have we taken our
spiritual freedoms for granted?
Both freedoms nationally and in Christ?
For the time being, we are blessed to be able to assemble
publicly and profess our faith in Christ Jesus.
We can evangelize within the community, and in these times we
have at least become aware of other methods of teaching.
iii.
The blessing of
togetherness
– a particular spiritual freedom we enjoy.
We are a support system – we are a spiritual family there for
each other. Jesus in Mark 10:30 notes those willing to sacrifice the
things of this world, will receive “a hundredfold” some of those things
as this spiritual family. It is as if God knew what He is talking
about. Hence Hebrews 10:24-25, 3:12-13, etc.)
Have you missed being with your brethren?
For some you had to give up many of those secular activities as
well – sporting events, movies, eating out, even school.
WHICH HAVE YOU MISSED MORE? Psalm 122:1.
What does the
Lord’s Supper mean to you now?
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 – it is a communion (fellowship) with both our
Lord and with one another.
Acts 20:7, they came together to “break bread” on the first day of the
week. God has given us this
memorial for many reasons.
Do you have a greater appreciation of our fellowship as we partake?
Not having been able to partake, how does it feel now that we together
again?
iv.
Hove you found some
better or different Biblical related habits
– such as studying
the Bible more, or perhaps some more detailed study.
Have you prayed more or the same?
Have you found other ways to let your light shine online and in
other places?
And thus we can see some lessons to be learned from this pandemic.
I am sure more could be added to these, but this is more than
sufficient. My point in
lessons such as this is for us to take a look around us and find
spiritual applications to what is going on, and perhaps in some way use
these things to draw you closer to God and your Lord.
Isn’t that what Jesus did with
His parables?
In conclusion, this pandemic is not over with.
In fact, with recent activities, we are seeing somewhat of a
spike in cases in various places.
So we need to continue to be prepared and do the best we can with
what we have as we move forward.
And no matter what happens, don’t forget your faith and in whom
you trust. Think about it!